Rain should miss Ashland for Halloween

There's plenty to be afraid of on Halloween, but rain shouldn't be on that list for trick-or-treaters Thursday.

Ryan Pfeil

There's plenty to be afraid of on Halloween, but rain shouldn't be on that list for trick-or-treaters Thursday.

The National Weather Service says there is a chance of rainfall early in the day in Coos, Douglas and northern Klamath counties, but the rain should miss the Rogue Valley and leave the area dry for costumed candy seekers.

The weekend looks wetter, though.

Weather officials are forecasting a weekend of rain and snow in the Siskiyous starting Saturday morning and continuing into Sunday. Meteorologists expect anywhere from one-tenth to two-tenths of an inch of rain for the Rogue Valley, with the potential for a little bit more in Ashland.

"It's going to be a big drop during the day," said meteorologist Mike Petrucelli. "It's certain we're going to get hit with some rain."

The front bringing the cold, wet weather will travel from the Pacific and over the coastal range to Jackson County. Snow levels in the Siskiyou Mountains will start at about 7,000 feet early Saturday and drop to as low as 4,000 feet by early evening, weather officials said.

"They'll come down fairly quick," Petrucelli said. "The question will be how hard the precipitation is."

Most of the showers will be contained to the mountains.

"We'll definitely get some rain here, too," Petrucelli said.

The front is expected to appear a day after Oregon allows motorists to put studded tires on their vehicles. That allowance will extend until March 2014.

Oregon Department of Transportation officials recommend traction tires or chains, as the studded tires can damage roads. In addition, while studded tires offer more traction on icy roads, they may reduce traction on wet pavement.